Furnace block with hanger socket



Dec. 18, 1962 J. P. WALT FURNACE BLOCK WITH HANGER SOCKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 8, 1961 INVENTOR- s/Ufi/V l 14410 ITTOQ/VM.

Dec. 18, 1962 .1. P. WALT FURNACE BLOCK WITH HANGER SOCKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 8, 1961 NV 5 7 JOHN A. a??? MWQM) 2 ATTORNEYS 3,068,313 FURNACE BLOCK WITH HANGER SDCKET John I. Wait, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Harbison- Walker Refractories Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 8, 1961, Ser. No. 87,815 4 Claims. (Cl. 11099) This invention relates to bricks or blocks used for building the walls and roofs of industrial furnaces, and more particularly to the means for fastening such blocks to hangers or other supports.

It is customary to suspend the bricks in flat furnace roofs from hangers. In arched roofs where hangers are not used for supporting the bricks initially, hangers often are employed for supporting bricks that are inserted for patching purposes. For stabilizing the side walls of a furnace, horizontal metal plates often are inserted every few courses and extend outward to cross bars, to which they are attached. The ends of the bars are secured to the buckstays.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a furnace block that can be suspended from a plain or threaded rod in a simplified manner, that can be held in a side wall without the use of metal plates, that is easy to make, and that has no projections.

In accordance with this invention a metal sleeve, which extends lengthwise of a refractory brick, is rigidly mounted in the brick. One end of the sleeve is exposed at one end of the brick for receiving a supporting rod. The sleeve may be tapered for a wedge fit with a rod, or threaded for receiving a threaded rod. If the sleeve is molded into an unburned brick, it is preferred that a metal member, which may be a reinforcing member, be molded in the brick also. In such a case, the sleeve is secured to the metal member. When the latter is a channel, the sleeve is disposed inside the channel and is secured to the central part of its web or to either of its flanges.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the furnace block, with parts broken away to show the sleeve;

FIG. 2 is a reduced fragmentary plan view of a course of blocks in a furnace side wall;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line IIIIII of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an end view of a modified block;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side view of the FIG. 4 block, partly broken away;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a row of suspended blocks in a furnace roof; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of another modification, partly broken away in section.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a metal member, preferably in the form of a reinforcing channel having a web 1 and side flanges 2, is molded into a refractory brick 3. The channel is shorter than the brick, so the flanges are completely embedded in it, but the outer surface of the web is exposed. A brick reinforced in this manner is well known. It may be enclosed in a metal case (not shown) if desired.

In accordance with this invention a metal sleeve 5 is also molded into the brick. Before molding, however,

the sleeve is welded to the inside of the channel in a position in which it will extend lengthwise of the channel. The sleeve is located at one end of the channel and projects a short distance beyond it so that the outer end of the sleeve will be substantially flush with the end of the brick and therefore exposed in the finished block. However, it is best that the sleeve not project from the brick, so that the block will have all flat sides with no projection. The sleeve preferably is tapered inwardly to form a 7 3,668,813 Patented Dec. 18, 1962 tapered socket for receiving a supporting rod. The rod can be wedged into the socket to hang the block in a furnace roof or to hold it in a side wall of a furnace. For a rod that is A" in diameter the outer end of the socket should have a diameter of about while the inner end of the socket should be about X in diameter. The socket generally will be about 1 /2" long. If the sleeve is not tapered, it should be provided inside with a screw thread so that a threaded hanger rod can be screwed into it.

When the blocks are to be laid in courses in the walls of a furnace, sleeves 5 may be welded to the channel webs 1, as shown in FIG. 1. They should be located midway between the two flanges. The blocks are laid with their sleeves at their outer ends, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Rods 7 then are driven into the sockets and the outel ends of the rods are hooked around either vertical or horizontal supports between the buckstays 8. The rods are shown attached to vertical bars 9 secured to horizontal bars 19, the ends of which are fastened to the buckstays. Supporting rods 7 prevent the walls from buckling inward.

If the blocks are to be used in the roof of a furnace it is desirable to remove the sleeves a material distance from the joints between the blocks, so that the hanger rods will be better protected from oxidation. This is done by welding each sleeve 12, shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, to one of the reinforcing channel flanges 13 embedded in the refractory brick 14. The sleeve should be located about midway between the side of the brick adjacent the web 15 of the channel and the opposite side of the brick. As shown in FIG. 6, the blocks are suspended in a furnace roof by supporting rods 16 or 17 hooked over stationary supporting bars 18 above the roof. The lower ends of the bars may be driven tightly into the sleeve sockets or hooked onto bent rods 19, the ends of each of which have been driven into the sockets of two adjoining blocks.

In the modification shown in FIG. 7, the brick 21 is a burned brick, so the sleeve 22 was applied after the rick was made. For that purpose the brick was provided at a predetermined position in one end with a recess at the time it was molded, or a hole was drilled into it after the brick was formed. In either case, the sleeve is in serted in the opening after the brick was burned. The sleeve can be held in position by barbs 23 stuck out of its wall, or merely by a suitable adhesive. Although the sleeve could be tapered like the one described before, the sleeve illustrated is cylindrical and it is provided with an internal thread so that a threaded hanger rod (not shown) can be screwed into it.

A furnace block made in accordance with this invention is relatively easy to manufacture. It has no projecting parts that would interfere with storage and shipping, or that have to be bent into operative position when the blocks are ready to be installed. As a result, these blocks can be used like standard bricks when necessary. The voids formed by the sleeves do not replace enough refractory material to weaken the bricks. Two blocks can be installed at a time by using bent connecting rods 19, which will hold the two blocks together and not allow them to swing relative to each other while they are being lowered into position in a roof.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A furnace block comprising a refractory brick, a metal member embedded in the brick and extending a 3 lengthwise thereof, and a metal sleeve extending lengthwise of the brick and embedded in one end thereof beside said member, the sleeve being secured to said member, and the outer end of the sleeve being exposed for receiving a supporting rod. a

2. A furnace block comprising a refractory brick, a metal channel embedded in the brick and extending lengthwise thereof, the channel having a web and side flanges, and a metal sleeve extending lengthwise of the brick and embedded in one end thereof inside the channel, the sleeve being secured to the inner surface of said web substantially midway between said flanges, and the outer end of the sleeve being exposed for receiving a supporting rod.

3. A furnace block comprising a refractory brick, a metal channel embedded in the brick and extending lengthwise thereof, the channel having a web and side flanges, and a metal sleeve extending lengthwise of the brick and embedded in one end thereof inside the channel, the sleeve being secured to the inner surface of one of said side flanges about half-Way between the side of the brick adjacent said web and the opposite side of the brick, and the outer end of the sleeve being exposed for receiving a supporting rod.

4. In a furnace, a row of refractory brick, a metal member embedded in each brick and extending lengthwise thereof, a metal sleeve extending lengthwise of each brick and embedded in its outer end beside said metal member therein, each sleeve being secured to the adjoining metal member, the outer ends of the sleeves being exposed, supporting rods having inner ends disposed in said sleeves in tight frictional engagement therewith, and stationary means holding the outer ends of the rods' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 616;311 Gracey Dec. 20, 1898 1,578,901 McCaulley' Mar. 30, 1926 1,599,745 Cinnamond a Sept. 14, 1926 2,592,634 Wilson Apr. 15, 1952 2,725,833 'Reintjes Dec. 6, 1955 2,846,963 Mason et a1 Aug. 12, 1958 2,932,265 Heuer -1 .1.... Apr; 12, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 693,761 France n Apr. 11, 1930 

